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YO-YO MA


BIO:
Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences, and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Whether performing new or familiar works from the cello repertoire, coming together with colleagues for chamber music or exploring cultures and musical forms outside the Western classical tradition, Mr. Ma strives to find connections that stimulate the imagination. Yo-Yo Ma maintains a balance between his engagements as soloist with orchestras throughout the world, his recital and chamber music activities, and his work with the Silk Road Project, for which he serves as Artistic Director. He draws inspiration from a wide circle of collaborators, each fueled by the artists’ interactions. Mr. Ma is also widely recognized for his strong commitment to educational programs that bring the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world. While touring, he takes time whenever possible to conduct master classes as well as more informal programs for students – musicians and non-musicians alike. He has also reached young audiences through appearances on “Arthur,” “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and “Sesame Street.” One of Mr. Ma’s goals is the exploration of music as a means of communication and as a vehicle for the migrations of ideas across a range of cultures throughout the world. Expanding upon this interest, in 1998, Mr. Ma established the Silk Road Project to promote the study of the cultural, artistic and intellectual traditions along the ancient Silk Road trade route that stretched from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. Since the Project’s inception, more than 60 works have been commissioned specifically for the Silk Road Ensemble, which tours annually. At the invitation of the New York City Department of Education, in 2009, the Silk Road Project began a multi-year partnership with cultural and educational organizations to pilot Silk Road Connect, a multidisciplinary middle school engagement program designed to spark a lifelong passion for learning. In Silk Road Connect, visual and aural elements are used alongside the experiences of creating and collaborating, making direct connections to classroom work in subjects such as Social Studies, English Language Arts, the sciences and the arts. Mr. Ma is an exclusive Sony Classical artist, and his discography of over 75 albums (including more than 15 Grammy Award winners) reflects his wide-ranging interests. He has made several successful recordings that defy categorization, among them “Hush” with Bobby McFerrin, “Appalachia Waltz” and “Appalachian Journey” with Mark O’Connor and Edgar Meyer, and three albums with the Silk Road Ensemble. Mr. Ma’s recent recordings include Mendelssohn Trios with Emanuel Ax and Itzhak Perlman; “Songs of Joy & Peace”. His new album, “The Goat Rodeo Sessions,” with Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile and Stuart Duncan, is slated for release in October 2011. Across this full range of releases, Mr. Ma remains one of the best-selling recording artists in the classical field. All of his recent albums have quickly entered the Billboard chart of classical best sellers, remaining in the Top 15 for extended periods, often with as many as four titles simultaneously on the list. In fall 2009, Sony Classical released a box set of over 90 albums to commemorate Mr. Ma’s 30 years as a Sony recording artist. Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris. He began to study the cello with his father at age four and soon came with his family to New York, where he spent most of his formative years. Later, his principal teacher was Leonard Rose at The Juilliard School. He sought out a traditional liberal arts education to expand upon his conservatory training, graduating from Harvard University in 1976. Mr. Ma has received numerous awards, including the Avery Fisher Prize (1978), the Glenn Gould Prize (1999), the National Medal of the Arts (2001), the Dan David Prize (2006), the Sonning Prize (2006), the World Economic Forum’s Crystal Award (2008), and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2010). Mr. Ma serves as a UN Messenger of Peace and as a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities. He has performed for eight American presidents, most recently at the invitation of President Obama on the occasion of the 56th Inaugural Ceremony. Mr. Ma and his wife have two children. Mr. Ma plays two instruments, a 1733 Montagnana cello from Venice and the 1712 Davidoff Stradivarius.

Latest Articles


Pattie Gonia, Yo-Yo Ma & Quinn Christopherson Join Forces On Climate Change Anthem 'W Photo Pattie Gonia, Yo-Yo Ma & Quinn Christopherson Join Forces On Climate Change Anthem 'Won't Give Up'
by Michael Major - November 14, 2023

Pattie Gonia, Yo-Yo Ma & Quinn Christopherson team up for a climate change anthem called 'Won't Give Up'. Drag queen and vocalist Pattie Gonia joins Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Indigenous trans musician and Tiny Desk Contest winner Quinn Christopherson, to right that wrong and have rel...

Mike Block Releases 'When The Birds Sing Along In The Morning' with Yo-Yo Ma Photo Mike Block Releases 'When The Birds Sing Along In The Morning' with Yo-Yo Ma
by Michael Major - January 21, 2022

Fresh off the release of his solo cello improvisational album, Planispheres, last month, the ever prolific Mike Block, has released a new single, 'When The Birds Sing Along In The Morning' feat. Yo-Yo Ma. Machines That Fly features three new songs, plus seven solo cello reinterpretations of songs fr...

Indian Born Falu Nominated for GRAMMY Award in Best Children's Album Photo Indian Born Falu Nominated for GRAMMY Award in Best Children's Album
by Kaitlin Milligan - December 20, 2018

Critically lauded, Indian born world musician Falu (aka Falguni Shah) has scored her first GRAMMY® nomination in Best Children's Album for her latest album, Falu's Bazaar. Falu's Bazaar was inspired by her desire to address her son's fascination with their cultural values and customs, exploring Indi...

Brooklyn Music School Announces Masterclass with Colin Jacobsen Photo Brooklyn Music School Announces Masterclass with Colin Jacobsen
by Kaitlin Milligan - October 03, 2018

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces a Masterclass with renowned violinist Colin Jacobsen on Sunday, October 14, 2018 from 12 pm - 1 pm at 126 St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217. For more information,visit:https://www.brooklynmusicschool.org/calendar/jacobsen-masterclass....

Yo-Yo Ma to Release SIX EVOLUTIONS: Bach - Cello Suites August 17 Photo Yo-Yo Ma to Release SIX EVOLUTIONS: Bach - Cello Suites August 17
by Macon Prickett - June 22, 2018

Yo-Yo Ma will release Six Evolutions - Bach: Cello Suites (Sony Classical), his third and final recording of these works, on August 17, 2018. The album is available now for preorder, including a 3-LP 180-gram vinyl set, and the Bourrées from Suite No. 3 can be heard now on all digital service provid...












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